Nana Sadie's Place is a spot to curl up and think about things: crafts, food, and how to live a worthwhile life. Maybe my thoughts will help you shape your own?

Sunday, November 12, 2006

A Time to Turn Inward...

Today I cleaned up the balcony garden (yes, sometimes things get away from me, and this one did!). Yesterday was 75 degrees. Today is 48. But the sun is bright. And it was time to clear away the deadwood and make way for the quietude of winter.

First, tho', will come the lights and fun of the holidays, and of course, Nana Sadie Rose is busy busy busy putting the finishing touches on Christmas orders, and preparing for the last of the craft shows before the Winter Holiday gift-giving season commences.

But more and more, I'm finding myself wending inward. Closing up windows, closing inward with emotions, shutting down early, as darkness falls sooner and sooner...

I'm having a struggle here. A new neighbor has moved in below me. She is a heavy smoker. Those of you who know me, know that I struggled to quit smoking and have been very successful in staying quit these last few years. After my heart attack and by-pass surgery, and now with Lupus and the lung issues associated with that, the protection of my heart & lung health is one of my major priorities. My aunt recently died of lung cancer after having NEVER smoked, but she did live with a smoker for the first years of her marriage...then he quit. Second-hand smoke is deadly.

My landlady has indicated that there is nothing she can do beyond asking the neighbor to please take it outside or to use an ionizer (which I've read actually isn't beneficial because of the release of ozone into the air). She says that she cannot tell her what to do in her own home...

While things are a bit better this weekend than last, there is still smoke in my apartment, once in awhile, enough to upset me.

I want to poll my readers about a couple of things from your own experience, so would you leave me comments or email me at nanasadieroseATcoxDOTnet?

What air purifiers have you had success with? What costs did you not anticipate? I've been looking at the Whirlpool Whispur 450 specifically...

What, if any, legal issues do you see with smoke invading from another apartment, after years of residence (I've been here more than 5 years...the previous neighbors did not smoke, the landlady knew of my health issues, this is a large complex, and this is a Big Tobacco State - tho' the governor is more amenable to anti-smoking legislation that previous ones have been!).

I've done some preliminary research on the net, but you know, I'm under a time crunch with other things right now. I need to buy an air cleaner/purifier right away, and don't want to make a costly mistake!

Oh dear. I can fully appreciate your problem - it seems to me that if you moved in when no smoker was beneath you, and your landlady knew your problems, there might be some action via the Americans With Diasabilities Act -- I don't know what, it's just an idea Sorry, sorry, sorry.

This is a doozy! Legally, about the best you'll probably be able to do is get the landlord to let you out of your lease so you can move. ADA has to do with reasonable accomodations in businesses, not in private homes. So as long as you have reasonable access to the public areas of the complex, like the offices, the pool, etc., the landlady has fulfilled her ADA obligations. Unless the building or complex is designated "no smoking" like some hotel rooms, the only right you can petition for realistically is to break your lease without penalty since the environment now poses a health risk for you.

I had a similar problem when a tenant below me was severely OCD and kept putting bowls of ammonia in the vents! (shared heating and airconditioning) My asthma was going wacko, and one snowy day I spent my afternoon breathing with my head out the front window. Not good.

I've not tried the airfilter route, but I'd be interested in what your research turns up. Have you checked consumer reports yet?

About Me

I'm a young Nana to 5 grandchildren, mom to a DD, and I'm owned by my cats: two very special rescued kitties, a Tonkinese, and a newly whole Himalayan. They're known here as The Tonk, and Moji, which is Hindi for Sock (too appropriate, right?). I'm the cat mom as well, to the late Meezer who helped me start this blog and whose spirit lives on in our home. Sewing is my business, knitting is my passion, tho' right now I'm a bit slow at it thanks to an arthritic thumb! I'm learning to be a passionate paper fanatic, an art journaling, paper planner/traveler's notebook nut. Please visit my shop at http://nanasadierose.etsy.com and be sure to visit both of my other blogs: Knitnana for knitterly happenings and Nana Sadie's Place for miscellaneous musings including reflections on my multiple interests and current fascinations.